Downtown Miami's New First Friday Art Walk: Free Culture by Land and by Sea

Courtesy of Art Vitam, Paris+Miami-MIA Encore

Volute-24 by Gilles Soudry

Say what you will about overcrowding in Wynwood, but you can't deny that the neighborhood's successful transformation into a trendy community hasn't made an impact on the rest of Miami. Almost every district of the city has attempted to follow in Wynwood's footsteps by setting up an art walk, but none has succeeded quite like Second Saturday.

All of that might change in the next month, as downtown Miami launches its own bid to become the next prophesied cultural sanctuary in the city.

International Fine Art Expositions, founder of Art Miami and the organization behind Miami International Art Fair, partnered with the arts and cultural community of downtown Miami to put on First Friday Art Walk.

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View of downtown Miami from SeaFair

"It will attract everyone from collectors and financial executive professionals to young creatives and families. The upcoming First Fridays event will present a wide variety of activities, including artist receptions, art talks, film screenings, and musical entertainment," Lee Ann Lester, organizer of IFAE, says of what's to come.

Lester and her husband, David, pioneered the art-fair market more than 20 years ago. They've established innovative events in Miami, Palm Beach, Naples, Sarasota, Hong Kong, London, and Dallas, and nearly every project attached to their name is a success.

Inaugurating First Friday this April, IFAE isn't messing around. Although it took only two weeks to plan, the organization has once again outdone itself. More than 150 artists of all styles and mediums will exhibit their work in 15 venues, all conveniently located two blocks from the Miami Trolley and Metromover. Parking will be available at each venue. Admission to the exhibitions and trolley transportation will be free. Expect to see familiar art heavy-hitters such as MDC Museum of Art, Dimensions Variable, TM Sisters, Sculptures in the Park at Bayfront, Art in Public Places, Bas Fisher Invitational, and a number of other well-respected organizations that helped launch the hype for Miami's art scene on an international level.